Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
blue waters thrashed against the sharp rock. high waves were begging to go out beyond their confinement. they wished to be more. although the bits of grain from the rock would be torn away and sink alone to the sand, the rough rocks stayed tall. the quiet susurrus of the wind seemed to be attempting to bridle the waters. the waters ignored the wind. above, the waters appeared to threaten any who dare try to get close. below, life went on incessant.
a figure was swimming through the restless waters. the way they glided through the waters made it seem as if they were flying. her long hair trailed behind her, cascading down her back and mimicking her white dress' ripples due to movement. each of the strand's intricate design looking like the very seaweed they whisked past. even in perturbation, she was beautiful. her face was calm, but her eyes held a weariness, almost tiredness. her knuckles had personified the color of her dress as she increased her grip on the trident, her fingers wrapped firmly around its handle.
eventually, the sand had risen up into an acclivity and clashed with the rock's speckled gray above. the figure ascended out of the water, droplets falling off of her skin and sinking into the sediment of the small island. on the island, a cave loomed, covering most of the land. its floral covered front suggested hidden treasure kept inside as if it was a treasure chest. out in the front of the cave, however, was a nymph.
this new character was pale. not a soft pale like she was carefully plucked from the moon. the nymph was pale as if color had been drained out of her and left a husk for skin. black hair fell past her waist and her just as dark eyes reflected back at the other nymph. her blood red lips curled into a smirk as she gave a short nod.
"amphitrite." she spoke, her voice that usually rang like waters scraping against a ship sounded honeyed.
"thetis," amphitrite greeted her sister. she hoped she sounded calm despite her tense demeanor. "i trust you received the message?"
"i wouldn't be waiting here if i didn't." thetis said cooly.
amphitrite forced her face to stray away from a scowl. "no need to waste time explaining my arrival, then?"
"none at all." thetis said as she beckoned her to walk inside.
despite being lady of the ocean, she wouldn't have trodden inside the cave without permission from her sister. though, she didn't need thetis to lead her anywhere on this island. not because of its diminutive size, but because she's had this island memorized. she could list every type of rock that made up the surface they walked on. she could name every blossoming plant that hung above their heads. she could greet every creature that flourished on the island by name. even if she faded away, forgotten by everyone known, the memory of the island would be one of few things remaining with her in death.
from the corner of her eye, she could see thetis eyeing the trident in her hand. her hold tightened if that were possible. amphitrite kept her eyes ahead, turning her cheek to see less of her sister. they might have been family, but they were goddesses first. they were leaders in their own right first. them being family didn't do much to help with that.
"so, how old is his latest kid?"
point made.
"thetis, please," amphitrite sighed. "i am not here to talk about him." especially not with you.
"it is just a question. i should get to know so i can inform paratiritís who i'm sending them after." thetis said.
it was a fair point, but thetis wasn't asking for paratiritís' sake. she was doing it to get under her sister's skin. rub in the fact that her husband had gone off and had a child with another women. amphitrite wasn't moved. she was numb to the betrayal at this point. she had forced herself to look past the duplicity and instead focus on the child, who wasn't at fault for anything. who was just a result and would sadly get the worst outcome out of the parties involved.
"same as usual." she finally answered after a beat of silence. "twelve." too young.
thetis hummed. "and how old is your latest kid?"
"how old was yours?" amphitrite snapped, her patience waning thin.
that got thetis to stay quiet.
it wasn't long before the two had gotten to the end of the cave. a small part of the rock was caved in, but the section was blocked off by thick strands of vine. a pure white lily rested at the top of the vines, embedded in the rock. its petals unfurled, standing out as though it had just burst into bloom. in reality, that flower had been there for decades, for centuries.
"how long will paratiritís need to be present?" thetis asked while gesturing to the vines.
"you speak of her as if she isn't living." amphitrite said. she hadn't spared her sister a glance. her dark pools of eyes were set on the scenery in front of them.
"technically, at the moment, she isn't." thetis pointed out and amphitrite hummed a sigh. "questions can never be simple with you, can they? i ask again. full time or part time?"
"full time." the lady of the ocean answer.
she didn't add why. she never did. when a question was asked of her, she never would purposefully hand out more information. but even with the fact that she didn't say it allowed, it was known. now more than ever did they need watchful eyes protecting this child.
"there, that wasn't hard at all now, was it?" thetis said as she outstretched her hand.
amphitrite's eyes darted between the trident and the hand. she took in a breath and shifted her grip so the handle was facing thetis. she grabbed it and amphitrite felt her jaw clench until she forced her body to loosen. including her hold on the trident. it slipped away from her the moment she released it. the golden hue of the trident looked dimmer in thetis' grasp.
brushing back the vines, something of a statue was now in sight. they sat on a chair that emitted a soft sunny yellow. celestial bronze. the statue was coated in it. lily stems traced the lines of the armrest, culminating in innocent blooms at its edge. the statue itself was small. a childlikeness to them compared to the sea nymphs who toward over it. the only thing that wasn't coated in gold on the statue was a silver chain that hunt from its neck — a sea-green crystal innocently weighing it down.
amphitrite's tense exterior softened. her hand twitched out toward them, but she had to remind herself, not yet.
thetis pointed the trident at the statue and amphitrite held her breath. no matter how many times they've done this, the same emotions would overwhelm her. it was like a record glitch that repeated the same thing over and over again. what the record was playing is relief.
the trident tapped the crystal, causing it to be lucent with a transparent teal. the color of the statue looked as if it was scurrying away from the glow. the tiny gold chains scrambled away into itself and revealed something underneath it.
there was a gasp and the ocean calmed.